MACHAERANTHERA BIGELOVII, BIGELOW'S ASTER
Synonyms: Bigelow's Tansyaster, Aster bigelovii
Description: Annual or biennial, to 3 feet tall, has a somewhat bushy shape, flowers have
purple rays and yellow centers; blooms in zone 5 mid-June into Sept.
Range/habitat: CO, NM and AZ; plains, hills and mountains, typical in sagebrush grasslands from 6500-10,000 ft. elev.
Culture/uses: full sun, drough-tolerant, avoid over-watering. This is a good late bloomer
for western and southwestern areas of higher elevations.
Seeds/lb. = 1,334,038
Planting rate: 1 lb./acre, l oz./2800 sq. ft. (30)
MACHAERANTHERA TANACETIFOLIA, PRAIRIE ASTER
Synonyms: Tahoka Daisy, Tansyleaf Aster, Aster tanacetifolius
Description: winter annual, 12-18 inches; compact, bushy plants with tansy-like foliage,
2-inch flowers are lavender with yellow centers. Blooms mid-summer through
autumn.
Range/habitat: Alberta to S. Dakota, south to north-central Mexico; somewhat
aggressive, colonizing disturbed sandy and silty soils, plains, hillsides, mixed
desert shrub, salt desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities.
Culture/uses: full to partial sun, dry soils; a good choice for sandy soils.
Germination information: State standard=60
Seeds/lb.= 408,000
Planting rate: l lb./6,800 sq. ft., 6 lbs./acre (60)
MALCOMIA MARITIMA, VIRGINIA STOCK
Description: slender annual, 4-6 inches; 4-petalled flowers in shades of lilac and white.
Range/habitat: Mediterranean region (Spain to Greece); naturalized in n. Africa; maritime
sands, waste places.
Culture/uses: full to partial sun, dry to moist soils; a delicately fragrant flower
Germination information: State standard=65
Seeds/lb.=l,l34,000
Planting rate: l lb./ll,000 sq. ft. 4 lbs./acre (100)
MATTHIOLA BICORNIS, EVENING SCENTED STOCK
Synonyms: Matthiola longipetala bicornis
Description: slender annual, 12-18 inches tall; small, very fragrant, pink or purple flowers, opening at night; leaves narrow and grayish
Range/habitat: Mediterranean region (Spain to Greece); naturalized in Arizona and California
Culture/uses: full to partial sun, dry to moist soils; strong clove-like fragrance
Germination information:
Seeds/lb.= 567,000
Planting rate: 1 lb./9000 sq. ft., 5 lbs./acre (60)
MENTZELIA LINDLEYI, BLAZING STAR
Synonyms: Bartonia aurea
Description: annual, 12-48 inches tall; a highly variable plant with large, beautiful, star-
shaped, golden-orange flowers with a spray of stamens in the center.
Range/habitat: central California, desert areas, sunny rocky slopes below 2500 ft., coastal
sage scrub.
Culture/uses: full sun, dry soils; extremely drought tolerant
Germination information: State standard=50
Seeds/lb.=586,000
Planting rate: l lb./9,700 sq. ft., 4.5 lbs./acre (60)
MIMULUS TIGRINUS, MONKEYFLOWER
Synonyms: a listed name of no botanical standing for M. hybridus (M. luteus X M.
guttatus)
Description: half-hardy annual, 12-18 inches tall; blooms with masses of large ivory to
yellow flowers with red or purple spots.
Range/habitat: M. luteus-Chile, M. guttatus-Alaska to Mexico
Culture/uses: partial sun or shade, moist soils; ideal for borders, moist areas
Germination information: State standard=50, tends to have dormancy
Seeds/lb.=9,450,000
Planting rate: l oz./9,800 sq. ft., 0.3 lbs./acre (60)
MIRABILIS JALAPA, FOUR-O'CLOCK
Synonyms: Marvel-of-Peru, Beauty-of-the-night
Description: tender perennial, 12-36 inches; produces handsome, trumpet-shaped flowers
in shades of red, pink, yellow and white, often striped or mottled. Flowers open in
late afternoon. Blooms late summer through autumn.
Range/habitat: tropical America, occasionally escaping from cultivation and establishing
in waste places and roadsides.
Culture/uses: full sun, dry to moist soils; attracts birds and butterflies
Germination information: State standard=60
Seeds/lb.=6,300
Planting rate: l lb./600 sq. ft., 60 lbs./acre (10)
MOLUCCELLA LAEVIS, BELLS OF IRELAND
Synonyms: Shell Flower
Description: annual, 24-30 inches tall; long spikes of six-whorled, green, shell- or bell- shaped calyxes, with inconspicuous white flowers
Range/habitat: Mediterranean region to northwest India
Culture/uses: full sun, moist soils; does not grow well in hot, humid climates; usually grown as a winter annual in the desert; useful as fresh or dried flower
Germination information: State standard= refrigerating seed for 1 week prior to planting may be helpful in warm climates
Seeds/lb.= 64,000
Planting rate: 1 lb./1000 sq. ft., 43 lbs./acre (60)
MONARDA CITRIODORA, LEMON MINT
Synonyms: Lemon Beebalm
Description: annual, 12-24 inches tall; leafy plants producing flowers in dense clusters of
lavender-pink to white. Foliage with pungent, lemony scent.
Range/habitat: South Carolina and Florida, west to Missouri and west Texas; on
limestone, rocky or sandy prairies, pastures, or gravelly hillsides.
Culture/uses: full sun, mesic to moist soils; prefers alkaline soils; excellent for the
fragrant garden, attracts hummingbirds
Germination information: State standard=50, tends to have dormancy
Seeds/lb.=l,0l2,000
Planting rate: 1 oz./1000 sq. ft., l lb./l6,800 sq. ft., 2.6 lbs./acre (60)
MONARDA FISTULOSA, BERGAMOT
Synonyms: Bee Balm, Horsemint
Description: perennial to 48 inches tall; purple clusters of flowers appear July thru
August in zone 5. Rhizomatous, can be aggressive.
Range/habitat: western North America; floodplains, shorelines and open woodlands,
moist to mesic prairies.
Culture/uses: full to partial sun; moderately dry to moist, but not wet soils, tolerates
sandy, clay or loam soils. Moist rich soils are best. Spray with fungicide to
prevent mildew. Good for birds and butterflies, makes a great tea. Hardy to
zones 3-9.
Germination information: State standard= 50, best temp. = 70-75 F
Seeds/lb.= 1,463,000
Planting rate: 1 oz./4500 sq. ft., 1/2 lb./acre, 1 lb./2 acres (20)
MYOSOTIS SYLVATICA, FORGET-ME-NOT
Description: annual or biennial, depending on climate, 10-18 inches; produces masses of
miniature, sky-blue blossoms with white, yellow or pink centers. Blooms in zone
5 from mid-April to June.
Range/habitat: All Europe except Ireland and Iceland; rocky places, mountain pastures,
damp meadows, woods. Naturalized in the U.S. in moist, shaded places.
Culture/uses: partial sun to shade, moist soils; perfect for borders, rock gardens, and for
dainty bouquets.
Germination information: State standard=50
Seeds/lb.=732,000
Planting rate: 1 oz./500 sq. ft., l lb./9,000 sq. ft., 5 lbs./acre (80)
NEMOPHILA MACULATA, FIVE-SPOT
Description: annual, 4-6 inches; cup-shaped, white blossoms, 1-2 inches across with light
purple veins and a purple spot at the edge of each petal lobe.
Range/habitat: California, mesic to moist slopes and flats, below 7,500 ft. elev., west of
the Sierra Nevadas
Culture/uses: partial sun to shade, mesic to moist soils; excellent for shady borders
Germination information: State standard=60
Seeds/lb.=74,000
Planting rate: l lb./1,200 sq. ft., 35 lbs./acre (60)
NEMOPHILA MENZIESII, BABY-BLUE EYES
Synonyms: Nemophila insignis
Description: annual, 4-6 inches tall; delicate, trailing plant with masses of bright, blue
flowers, 1-2 inches across, with white centers.
Range/habitat: California; moist flats and slopes below 2,500 ft. elev., foothills, grasslands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral.
Culture/uses: partial sun to shade, moist soils; excellent for shady borders
Germination information: State standard=70
Seeds/lb.=243,000
Planting rate: l lb./4,000 sq. ft., 11 lbs./acre (60)
NIGELLA DAMASCENA, LOVE-IN-A MIST
Description: branched annual, 18-24 inches; leaves are finely divided and thread-like; flowers are blue, pink and white, borne at the ends of stems
Variety: Miss Jekyll, semi-double cornflower blue flowers
Range/habitat: native to Mediterranean and western Asia
Culture/uses: full sun to partial shade, moderate soils; blooms quickly, but not tolerant of summer heat; does not transplant well due to taproot, reseeds readily; papery, horned seed capsules are often used in dried arrangements
Germination information: State standard=
Seeds/lb.= 100,000
Planting rate: 1 oz./100 sq. ft., 1 lb./1600 sq. ft. (60)
OENOTHERA HOOKERI, TALL EVENING PRIMROSE
Synonyms: Hooker Evening Primrose, Oenothera elata
Description: biennial to perennial, 36-60 inches, producing 2-inch, yellow to orangish
flowers on tall stalks, evening flowering
Range/habitat: western U.S., along stream banks, low marshy areas, sagebrush, conifer
and aspen communities.
Culture/uses: full sun, dry to moist soils; reseeds readily
Germination information: State standard=50, tends to have dormancy
Seeds/lb=l,4l5,000
Planting rate: l lb./acre (30)
OENOTHERA LAMARCKIANA, COMMON EVENING PRIMROSE
Synonyms: O. erythrosepala
Description: biennial to perennial, 2-5 feet tall; tall flowering stalks arise from leafy basal
rosettes, yellow flowers open in the evening and are 2-3 inches wide.
Range/habitat: arose in cultivation, naturalized in cooler northern areas of the U.S.
Culture/uses: full sun, moderate to dry soils; reseeds readily
Germination information: State standard=50
Seeds/lb.=864,000
Planting rate: l lb./29,000 sq. ft., 1.5 lbs./acre (30)
OENOTHERA MISSOURIENSIS, DWARF EVENING PRIMROSE
Synonyms: O. macrocarpa, Missouri Evening Primrose
Description: tap-rooted perennial, 8-12 inches tall; low plants bearing magnificent, 3-5
inch, yellow flowers. Blooms in zone 5 from mid-June through August, day-
blooming
Range/habitat: Missouri and Kansas, south to Texas; dry, thin, rocky, exposed calcareous
soils on prairies, cliffs, hillsides, slopes.
Culture/uses: full to partial sun, dry soils, prefers a soil with good drainage; does not
tolerate combination of heat and humidity. Zones 4-10.
Germination information: State standard=50, tends to have dormancy
Seeds/lb.=92,000
Planting rate: l lb./ 3000 sq. ft., 14 lbs./acre (30)
OENOTHERA PALLIDA, PALE EVENING PRIMROSE
Description: rhizomotous perennial, 8-20 inches tall; large white flowers 4 inches across.
Blooms late June to Sept. in USDA zone 5.
Range/habitat: WA to SD, south to NV, AZ, NM and TX. Desert shrub, pinyon/juniper,
sagebrush, mountain brush, and ponderosa pine communities; up to 7,500 ft. elev.
Culture/uses: full sun, dry soils. Excellent for xeriscape mixes, erosion control on slopes.
Germination information: state standard=50+D, tends to have dormancy
Seeds/lb. = 653,000
Planting rate: 1 lb./22,000 sq. ft., 2 lbs./acre (30)
OENOTHERA SPECIOSA, SHOWY EVENING PRIMROSE
Description: annual to perennial, 1-2 ft. tall, has running rhizomes; day flowering, white
to pink flowers are 2-3 inches wide.
Range/habitat: Kansas to Texas; various soils in prairies, open woodlands, ungrazed
pastures, and plains.
Culture/uses: full to partial sun, dry or moist soils; rhizomatous, can form large patches
and be quite invasive; does not tolerate combination of heat and humidity.
Zones 5-10.
Germination: State standard=50
Seeds/lb. = 3,024,000
Planting rate: l lb./acre (60)
PANICUM VIRGATUM, SWITCHGRASS
Description: warm-season perennial bunchgrass to 6 ft. tall, rhizomatous and aggressive;
has open panicles to 20 inches across, leaf blades to 3/4 inch wide. Blooms
late summer and fall.
Range/habitat: Nov. Scotia to WY, south to FL, AZ, Mexico and Central America. Wet
to mesic prairies, open woods, brackish marshes.
Culture/uses: full sun to light shade; mesic to moist soils, good for tallgrass prairie mixes,
soil stabilization. Seeds attract birds.
Germination information: state standard =
Seeds/lb. = 288,000
Planting rate: 5 lbs./acre for solid stand, 2 lbs./acre with flowers
PAPAVER NUDICAULE, ICELAND POPPY
Synonyms: Arctic Poppy
Description: short-lived perennial, 12-24 inches tall; produces large, white, orange or
yellow flowers on slender stalks, arising from clumps of basal leaves. Blooms
in zone 5 in late spring and early summer.
Range/habitat: arctic regions of North America, s. to Colorado; Eurasia
Culture/uses: full sun, dry to moist soils; at home in cool climates, does not tolerate
combination of heat and humidity, does not transplant well. Zones 3-10.
Germination information: State standard=60
Seeds/lb.=2,630,000
Planting rate: l lb./acre (60)
PAPAVER ORIENTALE, ORIENTAL POPPY
Description: robust perennial, 30-40 inches tall; forms a large clump of hairy, compound leaves that often die down later in the summer; 3-4 inch papery, crinkled flowers bloom in late spring to early summer, often with a black blotch at the base
Variety: Brilliant, scarlet red 3-inch flowers
Range/habitat: southwest Asia, may escape cultivation
Culture/uses: full sun, moderate to regular water in well drained soil; long-lived and do best when left undisturbed; needs winter chill for best performance; Zones 4-8
Germination information: State standard=
Seeds/lb.= 1,814,400
Planting rate: 1 lb./acre (40), 1 oz/2800 sq. ft.
PAPAVER RHOEAS, CORN POPPY
Synonyms: Flanders Poppy, Shirley Poppy
Description: slender annual,12-30 inches; produces large, graceful blossoms of pink, red,
or white, on slender stalks. This may be poisonous to livestock.
Variety: American Legion, red flowers with black, cross-shaped center
Range/habitat: Eurasia; naturalized in the U.S.; this is the common field poppy of Europe,
found here in open or shaded sites in sandy or gravelly soils, roadsides, culti-
vated ground, waste places.
Culture/uses: full to partial sun, dry soils; good for borders or rock gardens, breathtaking
planted in masses. Do not transplant.
Germination information: State standard=60
Seeds/lb.=3,l79,000
Planting rate:1 oz./2000 sq. ft., l lb./32,000 sq. ft., 1.4 lbs./acre (100)
PENSTEMON ANGUSTIFOLIUS, NARROW-LEAVED BEARDTONGUE
Synonyms: Prairie Penstemon
Description: glabrous and glaucous native perennial, grows to 1 foot tall, stems tend to be
bent at the base; produces blue flowers from May to early June in zone 5.
Range/habitat: short-grass prairie, SD and MT, south to NM.
Culture/uses: full sun, drought tolerant, great for shorter native mixes
Germination information:
Seeds/lb. = 270,000
Planting rate: 1 oz./350 sq. ft., 8 lbs./acre
PENSTEMON BARBATUS, SCARLET BUGLER
Synonyms: Scarlet Penstemon
Description: glabrous perennial, 2-6 ft. tall, stems glaucous (with whitish cast), scarlet red
flowers occur along a long flowering stem. Blooms late June thru late Aug. in
USDA zone 5.
Range/habitat: southwestern U.S. (UT, AZ, NM, TX); canyonsides, dry slopes,
Ponderosa pine woodlands.
Culture/uses: full sun, dry soils; excellent for xeriscape mixes, attracts hummingbirds.
Germination information: state standard =50+D
Seeds/lb. = 550,000
Planting rate = 1 lb./14,000 sq. ft., 3 lbs./acre (40)
PENSTEMON DIGITALIS, SMOOTH PENSTEMON
Synonyms: Talus Slope Penstemon
Description: perennial, 2-4 ft. tall; the very abundant flowers are white to pinkish in
color, blooms mid June thru Aug. in zone 5; hardy to zones 3-9. 'Husker Red' is a
very attractive cultivar with reddish foliage.
Range/habitat: native to the eastern and midwestern U.S.; found in open woods, meadows
and prairies
Culture/uses: full sun to light shade, moderate soil moisture is best, prefers loamy to
sandy loam soils.
Germination information: State standard=50, tends to have high dormancy, recommend
moist-chilling before planting
Seeds/lb.=1,972,000
Planting rate: 1 oz./2500 sq ft., 1 lb./acre (50)
PENSTEMON GRANDIFLORUS, LARGE PENSTEMON
Synonyms: Large-Flowered Penstemon, Large Beardtongue
Description: perennial, 2-4 ft. tall, foliage with a whitish bloom, leaves thick and fleshy;
large lilac to lavender flowers 2 in. long, appear in late spring to early summer.
Range/habitat: IL to SD and WY, south to TX, prairies and plains
Cultures/uses: full sun, dry sandy soils best
Germ. information: State standard=50
Seeds/lb. = 550,000
Planting rate: 1 lb./11,000 sq. ft., 4 lbs./acre (50)
PENSTEMON PALMERI, PALMER PENSTEMON
Description: perennial, 2-4 ft. tall; has grayish-green foliage, long flower stalks produce
many light pink flowers; blooms early June through mid July in zone 5.
Range/habitat: CA, east to UT and AZ; open, rocky areas
Culture/uses: full sun, prefers sandy, gravelly soils; drought-tolerant; does not tolerate
combination of heat and humidity. Best in southwest gardens, zones 5-10.
Germination information: State standard=50, tends to have dormancy
Seeds/lb.= 507,000
Planting rate: l lb./10,000 sq. ft., 4 lbs./acre (50)
PENSTEMON STRICTUS, ROCKY MOUNTAIN PENSTEMON
Description: perennial, 24-36 inches tall; produces spikes of showy, blue or blue-violet
flowers, l-inch long. Blooms in zone 5 from June through July.
Range/habitat: S. Wyoming and Utah, s. to N. New Mexico and ne. Arizona; pinyon-pin,
mountain brush, sagebrush and aspen-conifer communities up to 9,500 ft. elev.
Culture/uses: full to partial sun, dry soils; excellent for the rock garden, drought-tolerant,
attracts hummingbirds.
Germination information: State standard=50, tends to have dormancy
Seeds/lb.=478,000
Planting rate: l lb./9,500 sq. ft., 5 lbs./acre (50)
PETALOSTEMON CANDIDUM, WHITE PRAIRIE CLOVER
Synonyms: Dalea candida
Description: perennial, 18-36 inches tall, legume with pinnately compound leaves,
flowers in dense white spikes (1-3 inches long). Has a deep, thick taproot.
Blooms in zone 5 July to early August.
Range/habitat: Sask. to MS, west to AZ and CO; dry to mesic prairies, hillsides, rocky
places & roadsides.
Culture/uses: full sun, dry to moderate soils. A good plant for birds & butterflies, very
palatable to wildlife. A good addition to soils with low fertility.
Germination information: State standard= 50, dormancy
Seeds/lb.= 259,000
Planting rate: 1 lb./4300 sq. ft., 10 lbs/acre (60)
PETALOSTEMON PURPUREUM, PURPLE PRAIRIE CLOVER
Synonyms: Dalea purpurea
Description: perennial, 12-36 inches tall; legume with pinnately compound leaves,